There are many different types of fencing materials commercially available, ranging from various forms of wooden fences comprising posts and stringers, to metal fences made from chain link, wire mesh or barbed wire, to plastic or polymeric grids such as shown in Mercer U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,798, ("the '798 patent") the subject matter of which is incorporated here in its entirety by reference. The construction of fences from such stock materials is generally accomplished at the site and is very time consuming and labor intensive.
Preformed panels of fence-forming materials are also available, reducing on-site construction time and enhancing the versatility, portability and stability of the resultant fence. For example, portable fence panels are disclosed in Tabler U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,800, the subject matter of which is also incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. In that patent, a grid material framed in wood is interwoven with steel bars secured to opposite sides of the panel by bolts to hold the grid material in tension. While such a system provides a unique and highly desirable snow fence, there are many fencing applications where the disclosed construction would not be appropriate because of the cost and weight of the materials utilized.
Other preformed panels commercially available are relatively expensive to manufacture or install, involve a two-piece frame joining process, are aesthetically unacceptable, offer little flexibility in terms of modular joining relationships, or are unable to withstand the environmental and other external forces to which they are commonly subjected in use.
Thus, there is a need for a panel framing system which obviates the attendant disadvantages of the prior art techniques and which produces framed panel members which are highly versatile having utility in a wide variety of applications, from barrier, fencing and closure applications, to guards to prevent materials from falling off shelves or conveyor belts, to even such diverse uses as seat supports, bedding supports and filter frames.